fumbled; fumbling
ˈfəm-b(ə-)liŋ 
1
a
: to grope for or handle something clumsily or aimlessly
b
: to make awkward attempts to do or find something
fumbled in his pocket for a coin
c
: to search by trial and error
d
: blunder
2
: to feel one's way or move awkwardly
3
a
: to drop or juggle or fail to play cleanly a ground ball
b
: to lose hold of a football while handling or running with it
1
: to bring about by clumsy manipulation
2
a
: to feel or handle clumsily
b
: to deal with in a blundering way : bungle
3
: to make (one's way) in a clumsy manner
4
a
: misplay
fumble a ground ball
b
: to lose hold of (a football) while handling or running
Examples of fumble in a Sentence
Verb
She fumbled in her pocket for her keys.
They fumbled a good opportunity to take control of the market.
He was hit hard and fumbled on the 20-yard line.
He fumbled the ball on the 20-yard line.
Noun
played the entire piano piece without a single fumble
Recent Examples on the Web
Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 2 June 2026
But then again, neither is the Bears fumbling and bumbling.
—Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 2 June 2026
Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 8 June 2026
Barry Pearl's fumble became a memorable insult for fans of the 1978 movie musical.
—Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for fumble
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Verb
During Miami’s two periods of special teams work Malik Washington fumbled his first kickoff return, but most of the other punt returners and kickoff returned fielded their attempts well.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 2 June 2026
But then again, neither is the Bears fumbling and bumbling.
—Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 2 June 2026
Noun
In 2022, Meiga had four tackles and forced fumble for the Nittany Lions.
—Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 8 June 2026
Barry Pearl's fumble became a memorable insult for fans of the 1978 movie musical.
—Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for fumble
Cite this Entry
“Fumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fumble. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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